Apparatus and method to longitudinally and circumferentially cut and remove a section of a wellbore tubular

Abstract

An apparatus for cutting sections of a wellbore tubular includes a housing shaped to enable movement along an interior of the tubular. The housing has an upper end arranged to connect to a conveyance and a lower end comprising a guide. Cutting materials are disposed in the housing and arranged to cut the wellbore tubular in two, longitudinally spaced apart circumferential cuts and at least one longitudinal cut extending between the circumferential cuts. The cutting materials are arranged to create the circumferential cuts simultaneously or with a time delay chosen to optimize energy created when cutting. A method for cutting wellbore tubulars includes positioning the apparatus at a selected position in the wellbore and actuating the cutting materials.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for cutting sections of a wellbore tubular, comprising:
 a housing shaped to enable movement along an interior of the wellbore tubular, the housing having an upper end arranged to connect to a conveyance and a lower end comprising a guide; 
 cutting materials disposed in the housing and arranged to cut the wellbore tubular in two, longitudinally spaced apart circumferential cuts and at least one longitudinal cut extending between the circumferential cuts, wherein the cutting materials are arranged to create the circumferential cuts and the at least one longitudinal cut simultaneously; and 
 at least one of a push-out module and a push in module disposed between the upper end and the guide and arranged to contact the tubular to at least one of radially expand the tubular and radially contract the tubular. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the cutting materials comprise explosive cutters. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the cutting materials comprise chemical cutters. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the at least one push out module comprises a hydraulic ram/cylinder combination. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart push out modules. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the cutting materials are arranged to cut the wellbore tubular along a plurality of longitudinal cuts extending between the circumferential cuts. 
     
     
       7. A method for cutting a wellbore tubular, comprising:
 positioning a tool in the wellbore tubular at a selected depth, the tool comprising a housing shaped to enable movement along an interior of the wellbore tubular, the housing having an upper end arranged to connect to a conveyance and a lower end comprising a guide; cutting materials disposed in the housing and arranged to cut the wellbore tubular in two, longitudinally spaced apart circumferential cuts and at least one longitudinal cut extending between the longitudinally spaced apart circumferential cuts; 
 actuating the cutting materials, wherein the cutting materials are actuated to create the circumferential cuts and the at least one longitudinal cut simultaneously; and 
 actuating at least one of a push-out module or a pull in module to radially expand or contract the cut wellbore tubular to enable dropping a cut section over the wellbore tubular below the lower circumferential cut. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  further comprising actuating the cutting materials to create a plurality of longitudinal cuts in the wellbore tubular. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7  wherein the actuated at least one of a push-out module or a pull in module is operated with sufficient force to laterally lift the tubular from a wall of a conduit in which the tubular is nested. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7  further comprising conducting at least one well intervention operation through an opening created by cutting the wellbore tubular. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus for cutting sections of a wellbore tubular, comprising:
 a housing shaped to enable movement along an interior of the wellbore tubular, the housing having an upper end arranged to connect to a conveyance and a lower end comprising a guide; 
 cutting materials disposed in the housing and arranged to cut the wellbore tubular in a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart circumferential cuts, and a plurality of longitudinal cuts extending between adjacent ones of the plurality circumferential cuts, wherein the cutting materials are arranged to create the plurality circumferential cuts simultaneously or with a time delay chosen to optimize energy created when cutting; and 
 a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart push out modules or pull in modules disposed between the upper end and the guide and arranged to contact the tubular to radially expand the tubular or to radially contract the tubular. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the cutting materials comprise explosive cutters. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the cutting materials comprise chemical cutters. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the plurality of push out modules each comprises a hydraulic ram/cylinder combination.